no puppets, no puppeteer
by Hannani
Summary: One-Shot. During the Battle of Hogwarts the Ministry decided to intervene. Being fed up with the Ministry, the Golden Trio decided that they won't be played anymore.


**Disclaimer:** All of the Potterverse belongs to the most talented Author J. K. Rowling. I own nothing.

With cold detachment Hermione looked around. She couldn't believe it, this couldn't be happening. All of these months, all of the sacrifices they had to make and all of the hardship they had to endure.

It was not that it had started out all bad. Not at all. The battle at Hogwarts was brutal and frightening, but they could see the silver lining on the horizon. They had destroyed all the Horcruxes and Harry faced Voldemord on the battlefield. Where that slippery bastard now was, Hermione had no bloody idea. It all went so well, till the thrice damned Aurors showed up. Cowards as they were, they just erected a huge dome of wards, to trap all the remaining fighters that still battled in the yard. Confusion was huge. The fighting stopped. And yelling started. It didn't matter that they were trying to kill each other mere seconds ago, now they all just had one goal in common. Escape the wards. The Auror that tried to explain that the wards were erected to ensure the safety of the remaining castle and the students was met with hatred. Hermione was confused. Why did they trap them all, not just the Death Eaters?

"What exactly is going on?" Ron gasped and wiped blood off of his forehead.

Hermione took a glance at him. He stood right beside her. On her other side was Harry. Both of her best friends look tired, battle worn and confused. She was sure that she looked no better.

"I don't know," a grim looking Harry answered. "But it sure as hell doesn't look like they want to help us."

Nervously Hermione fiddled with her beaded bag and took another look over the remaining fighters that were trapped inside the dome. She furrowed her brows and scanned the Aurors and Ministry workers that were safe on the outside of the damned wards.

"Some of the older Order members are outside. Look, Kings is even helping with the warding," Hermione jerked her chin in the direction of one of her favourite Order members. "I can't believe this…"

"And mostly Death Eaters, remaining Order members and DA members in here", Ron murmured. "Can you hear what they are discussing?"

Hermione concentrated on Kings and the Auror he was having a heated argument with. "No," she shook her head. Focusing on his lips she tried to make out the words that were exchanged. Something with O? Before the O was a letter that needed pursed lips? Realization dawned on her. "I think they are talking about bonding?"

She was not sure. Whatever it was, she couldn't care anymore. They were so close to defeating Tom. To stop all the killing and make the Wizarding World safe again. But the meddling from the Ministry stopped their victory. She felt fury bubble up inside her stomach, battling her ever existing exhaustion.

"There were rumours that the Ministry wanted to bond Death Eaters and Order members to each other to stop the fighting," a deep male voice said. "Bonded for life, you really can't kill each other anymore without killing yourself, now, can you?"

The Golden Trio raised their wands at the speaker. "Rowl," Hermione snarled.

"No need to get your knickers in a twist, Princess," Rowl smirked. "Seems like we're all in the same boat now."

"No!" Harry growled "I will not let that happen! We were so close, we could have stopped it all!" He took a fierce look around. "I will no longer be a puppet without a choice…"

"Do you really think they're going to bond us to some Death Eaters?" Ron asked doubting.

Harry looked ready to tear something apart. "Are you ready to risk it? Look around. Are you ready for Hermione to be bonded to someone like Mulciber? Or would you like to be bonded to Bellatrix?" Ron looked appalled.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. Both of them shook their heads. No, they were not ready to risk something like that. Hermione was fed up with all of it. She knew of the corrupted games of the Ministry all too well. They wanted to force her into another situation that would change her life for the worse? The Ministry was underestimating the three of them incredibly. She felt herself go calmer and calmer. Preparing for another life or death situation. Preparing for fight or flight. That was what the Golden Trio did for the past year. That was what they excelled in. Surviving.

Hermione looked at Ron "What would our strategy be?" she asked calmly.

Ron contemplated. "Well, we need to bring the wards down. Chaos would help us get away. We need the effect of a surprise attack on our side. The more people fight, the easier it is to get away."

"The oh so brave Gryffindors that want to run away?" another male voice asked mockingly.

"Orderly retreat is not the same as fleeing, Dolohov", Ron spat angrily. Hermione tightened her grip on her wand. That wizard was still one of the main characters of her nightmares, even after what happened with Bellatrix.

"Stay away", Harry threatened trying to shield Hermione with his body. No one had forgotten Hermione's long healing process after the nasty curse Dolohov had hit her with.

"Calm down, Potter. There is no need to fight, we all just want to get out of here", the Russian Death Eater said looking angrily at the Aurors outside the dome.

A few tense seconds passed by till Ron tried to concentrate on the matter at hand again. "How long would you need to get the wards down, Mione?"

Hermione took a deep breath and tore her eyes from the two Death Eaters. She studied the wards. "Kings helped to erect them. I know his magical signature." Thank Merlin for all the hours they hat spend together in the library in Grimmauld Place and the duelling sessions. She couldn't help but feel betrayed again. Shaking her head she the let her magic flow out a bit, probing the wards as gentle as possible. "Probably 5 seconds, with a boost from Harry maybe 2." Hermione sent Harry a questioning glace. Was he willing to channel his magic? He nodded confidently.

"Right", Ron pondered "taking the wards down that fast will work in our favour. The probability for winging this whole mess just with us three?"

Rowl snorted und muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'not bloody high'.

Harry glared at him full of hatred. Hermione on the other hand felt calm as her analytical self came to life. Doing the Arithmancy in her head and calculating the numbers roughly she answered, "15 percent success rate for making it off the Hogwarts ground to safety."

"Well", Harry smirked "Gringotts in and out just had a success rate of 2.5 percent."

They shared a tensed laugh. The two Death Eaters just looked at them disbelievingly.

Ron cleared his throat awkwardly and wiped another trail of blood from his face. "Right. Probability for making it off the grounds with a huge diversion?"

Taking into account that the Golden Trio could very likely be the focus of the fighting again, the numbers of fighters in the dome, Aurors on the outside, the distance from their current position to outside the Hogwarts wards where they could apparate and so many more variables. Hermione contemplated.

"Roughly 50 to 60 percent best case scenario. Personally, I'm willing to take the odds."

The three of them put their heads together, Harry and Hermione listening, while Ron laid out his plan. Hermione never forgot about the two Death Eaters that seemed to use their getaway strategy for their own favour. Dolohov winked at her. Grimacing she focused on Ron again and nodded.

Facing the castle they straightened their backs and made themselves ready. Hermione took Harry's hand and squeezed it.

"Aw", Rowl purred "look at the love birds."

Ron shot him a dirty look that made the blond Death Eater shrug his massive shoulders. Stupid Viking wannabe.

Closing her eyes Hermione concentrated on her mental shields and the people around her. Focusing her magic she thought a powerful _Legilimens_ that targeted the fighters in the dome.

 _The ministry decided to take our freedom of choice from us once again,_ she whispered in the heads of Death Eaters, Order members and DA members all the same. The people in the wards stilled, confused about who the Legilimens was. Taking a look, Harry was relieved to see that the Aurors outside didn't seem to notice the change in the dome.

 _They want to force us into bonds with people we hate._

It didn't matter whether Dark or Light fighter, no one wanted to be forced into such an agreement.

 _We won't let that happen._

The people around the Trio started to get anxious. Dolohov and Rowl inched closer to the Trio. Whatever went down, they wanted to make sure to get away from the whole mess, just like the three of them.

 _We won't be played by them any longer. We are no puppets and they are no puppeteers._

Hermione opened her eyes and focused her mental shields around her once again. She caught the gaze of Draco and nodded to him. Maybe he would make it out if this whole mess as well. She kind of hoped it after everything he risked for them at the Manor. With grim face he nodded back.

 _It doesn't matter what you believe in. It doesn't matter whom you followed till now. All that matters right now is that the Ministry needs to be stopped._

It was a good thing that the Ministry betrayed both the light and the dark side. Otherwise they would never work together. Even now, Hermione was not sure they would not just start cursing each other again.

 _There is strength in numbers._

The DA and Order members inched closer to the Trio. They would try to fight together and help each other out of the situation. Rowl and Dolohov were pushed away from the Golden Trio. When Ron smirked at them, Dolohov bared his teeth in response. So much for staying with the three of them to raise the chance to make a successful escape.

 _Ready yourself._

The tension in the dome was so thick that you could taste it on the back of your throat. The fighters positioned themselves to face the wards. The Aurors on the outside were miraculously still oblivious to what was happening.

 _The wards will fall in 10…_

Hermione tried to focus on her allies' right next to her. The grim faces of Fred, George, Luna, Neville.

 _9…_

Tonks and Lupin holding hands, Ginny supporting a heavily injured Dean.

 _8…_

Seamus who held up a tired Minerva. Oliver right next to them.

 _7…_

Aberforth with his back to Arthur. Where was Molly?

 _6…_

Sirius with a mad grin on this face, Bill and Fleur.

 _5…_

Draco not too far from her who stared intensely at her. Nott and Zabini at his side.

 _4…_

Further away Dolohov and Rowl next to the furious Lestrange brothers.

 _3…_

Hermione squeezed Harrys hand as hard as she could and raised her wand to the sky. She knew that all the eyes from the fighters inside the dome were on her. She readied herself to draw magic from Harry. That would not be a comfortable experience. They only worked as a boost for each other when there was no other chance. She felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. She took a forceful breath in.

The moment she drew magic from him, Harry fell on this knees with a silent scream. She started to chant, waving her wand in a complex pattern above her head, trying to ignore the feeling of Harry's magic, which felt like acid travelling from their joined hands to her wand arm. Ron got into position to shield Harry from possible attacks. They always had each other's backs.

Like predicted only two seconds later, with a glittering explosion, the wards collapsed around them and everything seemed to stop for just a split second. When Hermione started to move she was not thinking, only acting on instinct and following the plan that Ron had laid out.

Pulling Harry on his feed she fired the first Stunner right at Kings who looked shocked at her. Before he could react he was hit with another Stunner from Harry right in his chest. That was what he got for betraying them. She smiled darkly.

Screaming, explosions and shouting filled the air around them. Working together in perfection that only came after years and years of teamwork Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Quiddich pitch. The Order and DA members tried to secure their retreat. Ron shouting over the noises of the battle.

"DA with us! Retreat on brooms! Phoenixes in the Forest, Thestrals in half a mile north!"

Hands still linked with Hermione, Harry battled with three Death Eaters simultaneously. Showing his incredible skill in duelling he forced them back on step at a time. From the three of them, Harry was always the most impressive in action. As good as Ron was in strategizing a plan, Hermione in calculating and researching for it, Harry was the most spectacular in carrying out a plan.

Hermione was covering his back firing hex after hex at Yaxley. Not all the Death Eaters attacked the Aurors like they had hoped. Nonetheless, the chances of a successful getaway were good. Hitting Yaxley with a cutting curse right in the chest Hermione gritted her teeth. So much blood. She could not show mercy now, they all had to make it out of here as fast as possible.

"Avis", grunted Hermione only stopping the spell when hundreds of little canary birds flocked in the air above her. Her face was grim. "Oppungo." Once the birds attacked and distracted the Death Eaters in their close surrounding, the Trio resumed their way to the shacks on the pitch. Running on full speed they arrived to almost all the DA members already on brooms.

"Go!" Ron panted, "Keep your Galleons in mind", he winked.

"I'm not flying on a bloody broom on my own!", Hermione shrieked, looking panicked between Ron and Harry.

"I know", Harry laughed high on adrenalin, "Get on behind me, Mione. Hold on tight!"

The moment they were all three on their brooms they took off in the air. Trying to hold a scared scream in, Hermione squeezed closer to Harry und took an active effort to survey her surroundings to secure the retreat. Oh how she hated flying! When she looked back she could make out Draco and his goons as well as Dolohov and Rowl on the Quiddich pitch. Hermione didn't even know if there were enough brooms for all of them. Imagining Rowl and Dolohov sharing a broom clutching at each other like she was holding tight on Harry forced a hysterically giggle out of her throat.

"Everything all right?" Harry shouted.

"Yes, just imagining Death Eaters cuddling up on a broom to get away."

The three of them laughed. High on adrenaline and almost in safety, the emotions just were too much to control. Grinning madly at each other they felt themselves pass the Hogwarts wards. Laughing out loudly again Hermione tightened her hold on Harry and held her hand out to Ron.

"Hold on tight!"

Once she had hold of her two boys she decided on a destination. Harry and Ron would love it there. The perfect place to plan their next steps. Not only did they need to defeat Tom, now they also needed to bring the Ministry down as well. Grinning like a mad woman she focused. _Destination, Determination, Deliberation_.


End file.
